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A keg is a can, is a keg, is a can, is a keg

To celebrate 15 years of the ORIGINAL craft beer in a can, Oskar Blues Brewery is launching new 16oz. Dale’s Pale Ale Draft Cans exclusively to bars and restaurants – an homage to Oskar Blues’ core belief that a keg is a can, is a keg, is a can, is a keg. Designed to combat limited draft lines, increasing draft clutter and rotation nation; the new Draft Can allows access to a fresh pint of the cult classic Dale’s Pale Ale without taking up a draft line.

As part of their continuous disregard for the status quo Oskar Blues collaborated with avant-garde illustrator McBess to create a series of three limited-release cans that embody a shared enthusiasm for the outdoors, music and craft beer.

When all three cans are aligned side by side, they create a single larger image that depicts Oskar Blues’ unlikely and irreverent journey from mountain town brewpub to craft beer pioneer. The series starts (from right to left in the image above) where it all began, Lyons, Colorado, including a depiction of the original can of Dale’s Pale Ale, it then progresses to the mountain bike haven of Western North Carolina, and onto the live music capital of the world in Austin, Texas.

Founder Dale Katechis gave conventional beer packaging the middle finger in 2002 when he made the industry-altering decision to put Dale’s Pale Ale in a can when no one else had the balls to do so.

“Fifteen years ago we hit the pavement getting thrown out of bars and restaurants trying to convince owners that a can of craft beer was simply a small keg. The same rings true today. Cans keep beer fresher and we’re bringing a full pint can to the bar stool,” said Dale.

Oskar Blues’ innovation and the craft-beer-in-a-can craze changed the face of the craft beer industry. If current bottle and can trends continue within craft beer, by the end of 2017, one out of every four craft beers consumed will be from a can, according to total US Food from IRI Syndicated Data. Compare this to 2014, when one out of every 12 beers consumed was from a can.

Dale’s Pale Ale was the nation’s bestselling craft can 6-pack in 2016. This year marks 15 years of canning and 20 years for the brewery brand whose beers are now sold in all 50 states, D.C. and 17 countries.